“I would say that good posture is when your body’s centre of mass (the sum of all of the body segment masses, located around the level of the belly button for men and a little lower in the hips for women) is aligned over the base of support,” she said.

Accepting ‘bad’ posture

While understanding what good posture can seem straightforward, experts say the majority of us have just accepted we have “bad” posture. Many of us slouch at our desks, avoid stretching our backs and, for the most part, are unaware of what so-called good posture looks like.

Vallis thinks this is due to a general lack of understanding of human anatomy and good body mechanics.

“Sadly, people are very busy these days and have other priorities. Unless they are experiencing pain or have a spinal deformity that is affecting their daily lives, most people will not do anything to change their posture.

“The prevention of medical conditions is often delayed until it becomes a problem.”

Another reason is that people may think it’s too complicated or too late to change their body mechanics.

“This is not the case,” Vallis said. “You can make simple steps toward better posture just by adding some simple stretching into your daily routine.”

Many of us also live in a rushed or structured environment — the thought of taking a break to stretch isn’t a priority.

“There needs to be a culture shift in office environments and the workplace where stretch and rest breaks are encouraged or enforced by employers,” she said. “This would pay off in the long run as there would be fewer workplace, repetitive or cumulative stress injuries.”

And experts agree that Canadians in general are more sedentary than ever. Most of us sit at work, through our commutes and as soon as we home.

“This lifestyle shift is relatively new in our society,” she explained. “I am a huge advocate for the development of better habits related to reduced screen time, more sleep and more physical activity.”

Mistakes Canadians still make

Lebel added that when it comes to posture, there are some mistakes Canadians continue to make, like pulling their shoulders back and sticking their chests out.

“There are even devices being sold that do this for you,” she said. “Pulling your shoulders back facilitates the forward head position and loss of the natural curvatures of the spine. There are a few cases where pulling your shoulders back is beneficial, but not past the ear lobes.”

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She said her clinic sees people, even children, with hunched backs and loss of lumbar lordosis (the natural curve of the lower back).

“I believe that the excessive use of cell phones and tablets is a major contributing factor in our society,” she said. “Also, more and more jobs these days involve sitting at computers, which also causes this hunched over posture and forward head position.”

Tips for a stronger posture in 60 days

While it is impossible to “fix” someone’s posture completely in a set number of days, it is important to start recognizing common pitfalls people make. Setting a goal, for 60 days, for example, can benefit you in the long run.

For starters, Beaton recommends moving as much as you can.

“Set a timer to remind you to stand up from your desk put a sticky note on your desk to remind you to move,” she said. “Position your printer at a distance from your desk, stand to talk on the phone, use your headrest in your car.”
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She said to let each red light or stop sign be a reminder to correct your posture and drink lots of water so you have to get up frequently.

Beaton also recommends a wellness check.

“See a physiotherapist for a posture assessment and movement screen before you have pain. Be pro-active rather than reactive.”

Vallis said to be more mindful about your posture throughout the day.

“Personally, I am trying to be more aware of my body alignment when I am doing some of the more boring tasks I do all the time at home, when my mind is not focused on other things,” she explained.

“For example, when doing the dishes — which is a bit of a mindless task — I think about how I am standing: Is my weight evenly distributed between my feet? Am I sticking my hip out? Are my shoulders up around my ears or relaxed? Where is my head/jaw? Am I holding tension in my neck?”